Biodegradation is the biologically mediated transformation and mineralization of organic or inorganic substances by microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and archaea, often via extracellular and intracellular enzymatic pathways. It proceeds through sequential steps including depolymerization, primary degradation to smaller intermediates, and ultimate mineralization to CO₂, CH₄, H₂O, inorganic salts, and biomass under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. In environmental and engineering contexts, biodegradation governs the fate of pollutants, natural organic matter, and synthetic materials, and is a central process in bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and life-cycle assessment of chemicals and polymers.
Elephants shape the African savanna. They consume huge amounts of forage, dig for water, topple trees and affect all the animals around them. So, what happens to their outsized presence after these iconic animals pass away?
Plants & Animals
Oct 12, 2026
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159
The U.S. dairy industry is a major contributor to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, with manure storage and handling representing a significant source of methane. Anaerobic digestion of cow manure—a biological process ...
Agriculture
Oct 8, 2026
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8
Farmers use a manufactured version of a natural plant hormone called gibberellic acid to improve the health and growth of crops, but it is highly sensitive to heat and light. A study in the Journal of the Science of Food ...
Biotechnology
Oct 7, 2026
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19
Researchers at Colorado State University are leading an attempt to restore Yosemite National Park's iconic meadows before it's too late by reintroducing native plants that once covered the landscape. Results are published ...
Ecology
Oct 6, 2026
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324
Databases around the world contain information on millions upon millions of enzymes that have the potential to degrade pollutants like plastic. Scientists at Murdoch University's Bioplastics Innovation Hub are combining machine ...
Biotechnology
Oct 2, 2026
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16
Across Appalachia and the Rust Belt region, including throughout the city of Pittsburgh, former industrial sites are being transformed into new neighborhoods, research centers and technology hubs.
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 19, 2026
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74
A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology discovered a previously unknown strategy by which certain fungi neutralize spruce defense compounds. These fungi are introduced into trees by bark beetles, ...
Ecology
Sep 16, 2026
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15
Deep in the ocean, brown algae and diatoms produce a complex carbohydrate molecule called fucoidan, which helps form their protective outer layers. The fucoidan molecule is very difficult for microbes to break down because ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 15, 2026
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34
This summer, 115 participants in Leiden and The Hague worked with scientists from Leiden University to investigate the soil life in their community garden plots. With mangetout peas, a taste test, a buried pair of underpants ...
Ecology
Sep 7, 2026
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11
Fungi are major degraders of plant biomass, including leaves, stems and roots. Investigating the molecular mechanisms that control this process is essential for identifying ways to degrade and use lignocellulose, a recalcitrant ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 4, 2026
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